Apparatus for indicating and recording the performance of electrically driven locomotives



Dec. 11, 1951 R. S. CLAR APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THEPERFORMANCE Filed March 17, 1948 OF ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN LOCOMOTIVES 4Sheets-Sheet l &

RNVENTQR ATTORNEYS Dec. 11, 1951 R. s. CLARK 2,577,950

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRICALLYDRIVEN LOCOMOTIVES Filed March 17, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Dec.11, 1951 5, CLARK 2,577,950

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRICALLYDRIVEN LOCOMOTIVES Filed March 17, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet -3 ATTORNEYS 156Dec. 11, 1951 R. s. CLARK 2,577,950

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRICALLYDRIVEN LOCOMOTIVES Filed March 1'7, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 il itch 4 MMgwmo ATTORNEYS Patented M11, 1951 APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND BE-CORDING 'rnr. PERFORMANCE OF ELEC- TRICALLY DRIVEN LOCOMOTIVES Robert S.Clark, Albany, N. Y1, assignor, lay-meme assignments, to F. N. Bard,Chicago, Ill.

Application March 17, 1948, Serial No. 15,404

This invention relates to instruments for indicating and recording thedetails of performance of machine and is concerned more particularlywith a novel instrument; for making a continuous record of variousphases of operation of electrically driven road locomotives, such asspeed, throttle position, transition setting, application of the dynamicbrake, direction of travel, etc, as well as continuously indicating suchfeatures of performance as speed and transition setting expressed interms of miles per hour or other units. The new instrument produces arecord, which enables the reader to analyze the performance of thelocomotive and determine whether it was operated during a run to createan overload on the traction motors and, if so, the extent of suchoverload, and the distance and time, during which the Overloadcontinued. The new instrument may be employed to especial advantage ondiesel-electric locomotives and a form of instrument for that purposewill be illustrated and described in detail for purposes of explanation,although it is to be understood that the utility of the invention is notlimited to that specific application.

Diesel-electric locomotives, as now built, ordinarily include fourtraction motors, which receive current from a generator operated by thediesel engine. The supply of current to the motors is controlled by theengineer by means of a throttle and the motor connections are capable ofvariation, so that the motors can be connected together in variouscircuit arrangements, the changing of the connections being referred toas transition. The motor circuit that should be effective at anyparticular time depends on the locomotive speed and, in somelocomotives, usual ly those for passenger service, the transition isautomatic. In freight locomotives, the transition is made manually bythe engineer by means of atransition lever and, as the locomotivereaches certain speeds, the lever should be manipulated to make atransition, in order to avoid overloading the motors'and damaging themor burning them out. In all locomotives, the throttle should be inaposition for low current supply, when the locomotive passes over arailroad crossing, since otherwise the vibration is liable to cause poorcontact between the brushes and commutators of the motors withconsequent arcing and damage. In order, therefore, that it may bedetermined whether an engineer has correctly operated a locomotive on aparticular run, it is necessary that a continuous record be made ofspeed, throttle position, and, in the case of manual transitionlocomotives, transition setting.

6 Claims. (Cl. 246-185) In locomotive operation, it is desirable that arecord be made of the use of the dynamic brake and it is also importantto have a record of direction of travel of the locomotive, in order tomake it possible to determine whether the locomotive has been operatedin accordance with the rules. If the railroad on which the locomotive isoperated is equipped with an automatic train stop system, a recordshould also be made of the use of the mechanism, which may be employedto forestall the automatic operation of brakes by the system, providedthe speed be below a selected limit. Such a record of forestallingoperations should be coordinated with the speed record so that the twomay be examined together.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel instrumentfor providing continuous records of the phases of electric locomotiveoperation above mentioned, and the new instrument is so constructed asto produce a record sheet, which can be readily examined and from whichthe conditions of operation at any instant can be quickly determined. Inthe new instrument, a record tape is advanced from a supply spool to a'take-up spool proportionately to the distance traveled by thelocomotive, so that each unit of length of the tape will represent, forexample, a mile of travel of the locomotive. The various records areinscribed on the tape by means of scribing means, such as pencils, whichengage the tape continuously and are moved to different positionstransversely of the tape with variations in the subject matter beingrecorded. One of the pencils is actuated by a mechanism responsive tospeed, and a second pencil by appropriate means, which cause the pencilto advance stepwise across the tape, as the throttle is moved from notchto notch to vary the supply of current 'to the traction motors. In aninstrument for use on a locomotive of the manual transition type, athird pencil may be actuated by the transition control mechanism throughsuitable means, which cause the pencil to be shifted transversely of thetape varying distances, which represent in terms of miles per hour .thespeed ranges, through which it is permissible to utilize specific motorcircuits. If the transition lever of the locomotive is also used tocontrol the application of the dynamic brake, as is customary, the thirdpencil may be utilized to make a record of such applications. A fourthpencil may be employed to indicate the operation of the forestallingmechanism, such a pencil remaining in a neutral position and drawing acontinuous line on the moving tape, until the forestalling mechanism isemployed, whereupon the pencil makes a record by being given a quicktransverse movement and me turn to normal position.

The records of direction of travel and of the application or the dynamicbrake may be made by various means, such as additional penils, butpreferably not more than four pencils are used and the records made bytwo of these pencils are altered to indicate direction of movement andapplication of the brake. For example, direction and the operation ofthe forestalllng mechanism may be indicated by a single pencil, whichmakes a line on the tape in one of two levels depending on the directionand makes a quick movement and return, when the forestalling mechanismis operated. The records of throttle operation and direction may be thuscombined and also the records of transitions and application of thebrake. Various methods of producing the combination records will be ex=plained hereafter.

In addition to providing the records above dmcribed, the new instrumentprovides a continuous indication of speed and a form of the instrumentsuitable for use on a locomotive of the manual transition type may alsofurnish a continuous indication of the motor circuit in efiect at anytime and the speed range, through which that circuit should be used. Forthe purpose of giving such indications, the instrument includes a scale,over which moves a pointer operated by the speed-responsive mechanism,which actuates the pencil making the speed record. A second pointer ismounted to move over the scale and is connected to a part oi thetransition control mechanism, for example, the manual transition lever.The connections to the second pointer include a cam so formed that, asthe transition lever is moved from one notch to the next, the pointer isshifted along the scale to indicate the speed of the locomotive, atwhich the next transition should be made. The movements of the twopointers are at the same rate per unit of speed and, by reference to thescale, the engineer can immediately determine whether or not atransition is required.

As indicated above, the new instrument, in its preferred form, is soconstructed as to indicate to the engineer the approved method ofoperation of the locomotive and to make a record of all features ofoperation, which are important in providing a basis for determiningwhether the locomotive has been operated properly and in accordance withthe rules and for protecting the railroad against unwarranted claims forpersonal injury and property damage. For some purposes, however, recordsof all the phases of operation above mentioned may not be desired, inwhich event, the instrument may be simplified by the elimination of oneor more pencils.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view illustrating a form of the newinstrument for recording purposes only; I

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of a form of the new instrument forindicating and recording purposes mounted above the control stand of adiesel-electric locomotive;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the case of the instrumentof Fig. 2, showing one type of speed-responsive mechanism that can beemployed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the lines [-4 of F18. 3;

- j act/aces Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation oi a dial used in oneform of the new instrument;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through a part of the new instrumentwith the recording 5 devices removed:

Fig. 7 is a sectional viewon the line 8-1? of Fig. 6, showing one pencilin operative position;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6, showing fourpencils in operative pc= 1o sition;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation oi a connection that may be used in theinstrument;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line id-ilfil of Fig. e;

Fig. ll is a view in side elevation of a device, by means of whichpencils of different colors may be used alternately, so that a singleline on the record sheet will provide a record of two phases oi.operation of the locomotive;

Fig. 12 is a view in plan of a typical record sheet produced by theinstrument shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a record sheet, showing a typical record madeby the pencil shown in Fig. ll;

Fig. 14. is a diagrammatic elevational view showing a modified form ofthe new instrument and driving means therefor;

Fig. 15 is a view in elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a part of theinstrument shown in Fig. 16 is a plan view of a typical record sheetmade by the instrument of Fig. 14;

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic elevational view Show ing the drivingmechanism for another modified form of the instrument;

Fig. 18 is a view on the line l8-i8 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of dual actuatingmeans for one oi the pencils of the instrument;

Fig. 20 is a plan view of a typical record sheet produced by theinstrument of Fig. 17; and

Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic view, partly in elevation and partly insection, of an alternative speed-responsive mechanism which can be usedin the new instrument.

The instrument shown in Fig. l is for use on a diesel-electriclocomotive and it provides continuous records of speed, supply ofcurrent to the traction motors, transitions, direction of movement,operation of the dynamic brake, and operation of the mechanism forforestalling the automatic application of the brakes by wayside devices.The instrument also provides continuous indications of speed and themotor circuit in eflect, the latter indication being in terms of speedand showing at all times the top of the speed range in which aparticular circuit should be used.

The instrument shown in Fig. 1 includes a casing 30, which is mounted inthe cab of the locomotive in such position as not to obstruct the viewof the engineer past the instrument and ordinarily above and forward ofthe control stand 3|. The casing contains a supply spool 32 for arecording tape 33, which passes from the supply spool around aregistration and drive roll 34, which may be driven from a convenientpart of the locomotive, so that the tape is advanced proportionately tolocomotive travel. For this purpose, roll 84 may be driven by a wheel incontact with the tread of a driving wheel of the locomotive. From theregistration roll, the tape passes to a take-up spool 35, which isdriven 76 through a slipping connection, so that the tape leaving roll84 will be wound tightly on-the spool. The casing has a window, throughwhich the tape may be observed. and records are inscribed on the tape bya plurality of pencils as the tape advances.

The supply of current to the motors of the 1000- motive is controlled bya throttle 34. The transition are made by a transition lever 31 and theforward and reverse movement of the locomotive is controlled by areverse lever 38. The throttle and the two levers extend throughopenings in the wall of the control stand and they are moved stepwisethrough arcs and may be held in a notch at the end of each step. Themovement of the throttle to vary the current supply may include eightrunning steps and the transition lever may be moved, for example, tofour different notches to effect four transitions. In some locomotives,the transition lever may be moved in the opposite direction from itsstarting or neutral position to cause the dynamic brake to be applied.The reverse lever is moved one step in either direction from a neutralposition.

The tape 33 is ruled longitudinally with parallel lines representingincrements of speed, for example, ten miles per hour, and the instrumentillustrated is equipped with four pencils 1!, 40, 4|, 42, which aremounted in front of mil l4 and bear against the tape to make recordsthereon. Each pencil is attached to a shaft which is in turn connectedto the device, the operation of which is to be recorded.

Pencil 39 is used to record the transitions and this pencil may be movedby any suitable means, as, for example, electrical means brought intoaction as the different motor circuits are established. In theinstrument shown, the pencil is actuated mechanically by meansoperatively connected to the transition lever and, for this purpose, theshaft 43 of the pencil is connected by a flexible shaft 44 to one end ofa lever 45. The other end of the lever carries a roller 46 hearingagainst a cam 41 on a shaft 48. Shaft 48 carries a gear 49 meshing witha gear 50 on a shaft 5|, which is driven by a belt 52 trained about apulley 53 on a shaft 54 connected to the transition lever 31.

The cam 41 is so formed that, as the transition lever is moved fromnotch to notch to effect transitions, pencil 39 is moved transverselyacross the tape in steps varying in length with the length of the speedrange, in which a particular motor circuit should be used. The speeds,at which transitions should be made, depend on the locomotive on whichthe instrument is to be used and the cam is appropriately formed for thepurpose. For example, when the transition lever is moved to the firstnotch, pencil 39 may move across the tape from the zero position to apoint representing twenty-four miles per hour, as indicated by therulings on the tape, this speed being the top speed at which the firstmotor circuit should be employed in the particular locomotive. When thesecond transition is effected, the pencil 39 may be moved across thetape to a point representing thirty-four miles per hour, and, in thethird step of the pencil, it may be moved to a point representingsixty-eight miles per hour, these speeds being the top speeds, at. whichthe second and third motor circuits, respectively, should be used. Whenthe pencil is moved to the fourth step, it indicates the speed, forexample, eightly-three miles per hour, beyond which the locomotiveshould not be driven.

The pencil 40 in the instrument shown makes a record of current suppliedto the traction motors and the pencil may be moved across the tape byany suitable means in accordance with changes in the current supply. Inthe instrument illustratod, the pencil is moved by means actuated by thethrottle ll and the shaft of the pencil is connected to one end of aflexible shaft 56, the

other end of which carries a roller 51 held by a spring 58 against thesurface of a cam 58 on-a shaft 4| connected to the throttle 36. Theconnection may include a pulley ii on shaft 60 and a belt 62 trainedabout pulley 6| and about a pulley 63 on a shaft 84 connected to thethrottle. As the throttle is moved stepwise through its arc, cam 59rotates and moves shaft 58 endwise by steps and thus changes theposition of pencil 4B transversely of tape 33. For convenience inreading the record of current supply, it is desirable that the movementof pencil 40 in the first few steps be somewhat longer than in the latersteps and this result may be achieved by giving the cam 58 anappropriate form.

The pencil 4| records the speed of the locomotive and the shaft 65 ofthe pencil is driven by speed-responsive means. Suitablespeed-responsive means for the purpose are illustrated in Figs. 3 and22, and will-be described hereafter.

The pencil 42 is employed for the purpose of making a record of the useby the engineer of mechanism for forestalling the automatic applictionof brakes by wayside devices in an automatic train stop system. Theshaft 66 of the pencil is connected to the armature 61 of anelectromagnet 68, which is momentarily supplied with current wheneverthe forestalling mechanism is actuated. The energization ofelectromagnet 68 cause the armature 61 to be drawn down quickly and thenreleased and the movement of the armature causes the pencil to make ashort transverse movement and return relative to the tape. Ordinarilypencil 42 makes a straight line record on the tape and the transversemovements referred to cause it to make a short line at right angles tothe normal record line. 4

The instrument so far described makes continuous records of currentsupply, transitions, speed, and operation of the forestalling mechanism.It is further desirable to make a record of the direction of travel ofthe locomotive and, while this could be accomplished by the use of anadditional pencil, actuated, for example, from the reverse lever, it ispreferable to record the direction of travel by suitably modifying therecord-made by one of the four pencils described. In the instrumentshown in Fig. 1, the record of current supply is thus modified. For thispurpose, pencil 40 is mounted so that, in its neutral position, it liesat a level about one-quarter of the width of the tape upwardly from thelower edge. When the reverse lever is moved to a position for forwardtravel of the locomotive, the pencil is shifted to the middle of thetape, and, thereafter, as the throttle is moved, the pencil makes arecord above'the median line of the tape. When the reverse lever ismoved to a position for reverse travel of the locomotive. the pencil isshifted toward the lower edge of the tape and, during reverse travel,makes a record below the median line of the tape. Accordingly, it can beimmediately determined from an inspection of the tape whether thelocomotive travel is forward or reverse.

The means for shifting pencil 40, so that it will record above or belowthe median lines of the tape. acts on the flexible shaft 56. b which thepencil is driven, to lengthen or shorten the overall length of the shaft(Fig. 9). For this purpose, a part of shaft 58 between its ends isremoved, and a link 89 is rigidly attached at one end to the end of onepart of the flexible shaft. The link is in turn connected at its otherend to one end of a link It, the other end of which carries a pin I I,to which a disc i2 is rigidly attached. Beyond the opposite face of disc'52, one end of a link 13 is connected fast to pin IE and the other endof link I8 is loosely connected to the end of the second portion. ofshaft Disc has an arcuate channel it in one face and the channel hasdepressions at opposite ends. A ball is lies in the channel and is heldagainst the bottom thereof by a spring 18 seated in a recess in the link10. When the ball seats in the depression at either end of the channelIt. it tends to hold link Iii against movement relative to disc 12 andlink 13.

The pin II enters a slot in a link Ill supported for guided rectilinearmovement and attached by a flexible shaft 18 to the rim of a pulley it(Fig. 1) on a shaft 88 connected to the reverse lever 38. When the leveris moved to cause forward movement of the locomotive, rotation of itsshaft 80 causes link It to move toward the axis of shaft 56. This causeslinks it and It to be moved into alignment and the links are held inthat position by ball I5 entering a depression at one end of the channelIt in disc 12. When links and 13 are thus aligned, the overall length ofshaft 56 is increased and pencil AB is moved to a position opposite themedian line of the tape, as shown in Fig. 1. When the reverse lever ismoved to neutral position, the overall length of shaft 56 is reduced andthe pencil w is moved toward the lower edge of the tape. When thereverse lever is moved to the position for reverse travel of thelocomotive, link H is moved to cause links 10 and It to assume theangular relation shown in Fig. 9. As a result, the overall length .ofshaft 56 is reduced and pencil is is moved to a point near the loweredge of the tape. Accordingly, with the construction described, themovement of the reverse lever changes the initial position of pencil 49with reference to the tape and, thereafter, as the current supply isvaried by the throttle, cam 59 acts on shaft 56 to cause the pencil tomove transversely of the tape to record the variations in current supplyeither above or below the median line of the tape, depending on thedirection of travel.

It is common practice to provide a diesel-electric locomotive with adynamic brake and, since the brake is applied only after the transitionlever has been returned to its initial starting position, the lever maybe used to control the brake. The pencil 39, by which the transitionsare recorded, may, accordingly, be employed to make a record of theoperation of the brake. For this purpose, the cam 41 is formed with asurface 41a such that, when the transition lever is moved rearwardlyfrom its initial starting position, the cam acts through the connectionsdescribed to move the pencil 39 upwardly a short distance above itsstarting position. Through out the time that the dynamic brake is inuse. the pencil makes a straight line along the tape in this upperlevel.

The instrument illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is used for both recordingand indicating purposes, and it includes a spool 88 for holding a supplyof a record tape 89, which passes over a registration and guide-roll atand is taken up on a spool recording hansitions, a pencil as forrecording current supply and direction of travel, a pencil for recordingspeed, and a pencil 95 for recording the actuation oi the forestalling'mechanism. Pencils 93 and 95 may be driven by the same means used fordriving pencils so and d2, respectively, of the Fig. i instrument.

The instrument of Fig. 2 includes a casing 95:? having a window til,through which the tape t5; and the ends of the several pencils arevisible. Below the window, the casing is provided with a dial 9%, theouter portion of which is marked in units of speed, while the centralarea is divided into sections, each of which covers a speed range, inwhich a particular motor circuit should be used. The dial illustrated inFig. 5 is for use on an instrument to be employed on a locomotive, inwhich the first motor circuit is to be used up to twenty=four miles perhour. the second be tween twenty-four and thirty-four miles per hour,the third between thirty-four and sixty-eight miles per hour, and thefourth between sixtyeight and eighty-three miles per hour. The radiallines defining each section of the inner portion of the dial are,accordingly, aligned with the appropriate readings on the outer portionof the dial. The instrument includes a pointer 98 moving over the dialto indicate instantaneous values of speed and a second pointer wt, whichis moved when a transition is made, and shifts along the dial toindicate the top of the speed range, in which the motor circuitestablished by that transition should be used.

Pencil 92, which indicates transitions, is connected by its shaft ifiito a member W2 havin rack teeth engaging an idler gear Hi3, which mesheswith a gear 66% loosely mounted on a shaft 985. The gear 596 has a hub6%, which projects through dial 98 and carries a pointer its at itsouter end. Member its is connected to a flexible shaft itl, which may bedriven from the transition lever 3! in the same manner as shaft 6% ofpencil as.

The speed pencii at has a shaft ltd connected to a member its havingrack teeth. The teeth on member its mesh with the teeth of an idler gearMil, which mesh with the teeth on the small part of a compound gear iiifast on shaft Hi5- Shaft extends through the hub its of gear m6, and theouter end of shaft 585 carries the speed pointer 99. The large part ofgear Hi meshes with an idler gear I i2, which meshes with the large partof a compound gear H3. The small part of gear H3 is driven by rack teethon a sleeve lid mounted for axial movement along a rod H5 against theaction of a spring M8, the sleeve being held against rotational movementrelative to the rod. Sleeve H4 rests on a collar til encircling rod H5and connected by a link M8 to a governor ring H9 pivotally secured to ashaft I20, which is driven at a rate proportional to the speed of thelocomotive, as, for example, from a wheel bearing on'thetread of one ofthe locomotive driving wheels. As the speed of the locomotive varies,the governor ring H9 is acted on centrifugally and moves collar i I1 andsleeve I up or down. The movement of sleeve H4 is transmitted throughthe gearing to shaft Hi5 and causes the speed pointer 99 to move overthe dial and pencil 85' to move transversely of the tape.

The length of tape l2l shown in Fig. 13 carries typical records made bythe instrument of Fig. 1 of current supply, transitions, speed,operation of 9 the forestalling mechanism, direction of travel, andapplication of the dynamic brake. Line I22 is a record of current supplyand direction of travel and it was made by pencil 40. When the reverselever of the locomotive was moved for forward travel, the pencil wasshifted to about the mid-point of the tape and the pencil was then movedtransversely of the tape toward the upper edge in successive steps asthe throttle was opened notch by notch. Subsequently, the throttle wasclosed in successive steps and the portion I22a of line I22 indicatestravel of the locomotive with no power on. Thereafter, the locomotivewas stopped and reversed, and the movement of the reverse lever for thispurpose caused the pencil to be shifted down to a point near the loweredge of the tape. As the throttle was opened for reverse travel, thepencil was moved upwardly across the tape, until it reached the levelI22b, indicating that the throttle had been shifted to the third notchand retained there duringthe reverse travel.

The lines I23 and I24 on the tape I2I are records of transitions andspeed, respectively, and they show that, as the speed increased,transitions were properly made at twenty-four, thirtyfour, andsixty-eight miles per hour. When the locomotive was to be stopped, thetransitions were made successively and at short intervals, until thetransition lever reached its initial starting position, as indicated bythe line I23 reaching the point I23a, which is in the same level as thestarting point of the line. Thereafter, the dynamic brake was appliedand the pencil was shifted to record in the level I23b. When thelocomotive speed dropped to about thirty-five miles per hour, thetransition lever was brought back to its original starting position todiscontinue the application of the dynamic brake and the pencil movedback to the point I230. The short line I23d was formed by the transitionpencil while the locomotive was being stopped by the air brakes with thetransition lever in its initial starting position. During reversetravel, two transitions were made, as shown by the portion of the lineI23 beyond the heavy line I23e.

The line I25 on tape I2I is a record of operation of the forestallingmechanism. The line was made by pencil 42 and, whenever the forestallingmechanism was actuated, the pencil was caused to move downward quicklyand be returned, thus making a short line I25a extending at right anglesto line I25.

The modification of the record made by a pencil actuated by one deviceon the locomotive in order to record the operation of another device maybe effected in other ways than by causing the pencil to record ondifferent parts of the tape, as in the instrument shown in Fig. 1. Thus,a pair of pencils of different colors may be carried by the samemounting, with one or the other of the pencils making a record of theoperation of one device and a change in color of that record recordingthe operation of the second device. Such a construction is shown in Fig.11 as including a pair of pencils I23, I21 of different color mounted ina holder I23 pivotally supported on a bracket I29 on a plate I30 hingedto a base I3I attached to one end of a tube I32. The tube carries acollar I33, which may be engaged, for example, by a shaft I34 actuatedby a cam rotated by the throttle, in the same manner as shaft 53. Theplate I 30 has an opening in alignment with tube I32 and the holder I23has a tail I23a overlying the opening. A rod I35 projects through thetube and plate and is 10 connected by a slot and pin connection to tailI23a. The rod may be operatively connected to a flexible shaft or othermeans, so as to be moved endwise by a device, the actuation of which isto b berecorded.

If the pencils I23, I21 are to record both supply of current anddirection of travel of the locomotive, for example, the shaft I34 ismoved endwise by means operated as the current supply changes, as, forexample, by a cam similar to cam 59 and rotated stepwise as the throttleis moved from notch to notch. The rod I35 is connected to the reverselever, and, when the lever is in position for forward travel of thelocomotive, the rod is moved to elevated position and swings holder I23, so that pencil I23 bears against the record sheet. When thedirection of travel of the locomotive is reversed, rod I35 is moved downto swing pencil I21 to operative position. The records of current supplyduring forward and reverse travel are, accordingly, made in differentcolors.

The length of tape I33 (Fig. 13) shows a typical record made by thedevice shown in Fig. 11. The line I31 on the tape indicates values ofcurrent supply and that part of the line between points A and B is inone color and shows that the locomotive was traveling forward. Thatportion of the line between points B and C is in a different color andshows that the travel of the locomotive was in reverse.

The instrument shown in Fig. 14 is a modification of that shown in Fig.1 and provides records of current supply, transitions, speed, directionof travel, operation of the forestalling mechanism, and operation of thedynamic brake. The six records are made by four pencils designated I33,I39, I40, I.

Pencil I33 records the transitions and the application of the dynamicbrake. The shaft I42 of the pencil is connected by a flexible shaft I43to one end of a lever I44, the other end of which carries a roller I45bearing against the rim of a cam I43. The cam is mounted on a shaft I41connected through gearing I48 and a belt I49 to a shaft I50, which isconnected to the transition lever 31. As the lever is moved to effectthe successive transitions, cam I43 is moved angularly by steps andshifts pencil I33 corresponding distances upwardly across the recordsheet. Cam 5 I43 is provided with a surface I43a, so that, when thetransition lever is moved rearwardly from its initial starting positionto apply the dynamic brake, surface I43a causes a movement of pencil I33to make a record above the level of its start- 55 ing point.

Pencil I39 records current supply and its shaft II is connected by aflexible shaft I32 to one end of a lever I53, the other end of whichcarries a roller I54 in contact with the rim of a cam I53. 60 The cam ismounted on the shaft I53, which is connected through a belt I51 to ashaft I53 connected to the throttle 36. As the throttle is opened notchby notch, cam I55 is moved angularly stepwise and this causes a step bystep move- 65 ment of pencil I39 transversely of a record tape.

The pencil I40 records speed and its shaft I59 may be actuated by anyappropriate speed-responsive mechanism, such, for example, as thatillustrated in Fig. '3.

The pencil I4I records direction of travel and also the operation of theforestalling mechanism. The shaft I30 of the pencil is connected to aflexible shaft I3I, which is attached to one end of a link I32, theother end of which is connected by 73 a pin I33 to one end of a linkI34. The other end asmese I88, the other arm of which is connected to anarm I88 on a shaft I51 connected to the reverse lever 88. The pin I88extends into a slot in a link I88 of T-shape, the long leg of link I88being connected to the core 01 a solenoid I89. The core of the solenoidis acted on by a return spring I18. The solenoid is supplied momentarilywith current whenever the forestalling mechanism is actuated. Normally,links I82, I84 are aligned so that pencil Ill makes a straight linealong the tape in one or the other of two levels, depending upon theposition of the reverse lever. Whenever the forestalling mechanism isactuated, solenoid I89 is momentarily energized and this causes link I88to be moved to the position shown in Fig. 15, so that the pencil ismoved downwardly a short distance. When the solenoid is deenergized, thespring I18 moves link I68 to cause links I62, I84 to move back againinto alignment. The operation of the forestalling mechanism thus causesthe pencil Ill to make a short line at right angles to the direction ofmovementof the tape.

The piece of tape I1I shown in Fig. 16 carries typical records made byan instrument of the construction shown in Fig. 14. The line I12 on thetape is a record of current supply made by pencil I39, the pencil havingbeen shifted stepwise transversely of the tape as the throttle wasopened notch by notch. The line I13 is a record of transitions made bypencil I88. The cam I88 actuating pencil I38 was designed so that ateach movement of the transition lever, the pencil was shifted to a pointon the tape representing the top speed at which the motor circuitestablished by the transition should be used. Line I18 on the tape is arecord of speed made by penciLI 48, and a comparison of lines I13 andI14 shows that, whenever the speed reached the top speed permitted for aparticular motor circuit, a transition was made. The line I13 showsthat, when the lccomotive was to be stopped, the transition lever wasmoved back to its initial starting position at Ilia and thereafter thelever was moved to apply the dynamic brake, as shown by the portion I18bof the line. The brake was applied until the locomotive speed wasreduced to about thirty-five miles per hour, and the short length I130of a heavy line was formed by the throttle and transition pencils makingsuperposed records while the locomotive was being braked to a stop, withboth the throttle and the transition levers in their neutral positions.Thereafter, the locomotive was reversed and, during reverse travel,

the throttle was opened three notches as indicated by line "2?) and twotransitions were made as indicated by line "M.

The line I15 is a record of direction of travel and of the operation ofthe forestalling mechanism made by pencil Ill. The portion I15a of theline is at a lower level than the remainder and indicates reversetravel. The short line I18 indicates the operation of the forestallingmechanism.

In the instruments so far described, the record of transitions is madeby a pencil actuated mechanically by the transition lever, but thepencil can be actuated partly mechanically and partly electrically, ifdesired. Such a construction is illustrated in Fig. 17, in which theflexible shaft I11 connected to a pencil (not shown) for recordingtransitions is connected to a lever I18 attached to a quadrant gear I19meshing with a I82. The transition lever 31" is connected to l8 shaftI88 having an arm I84 operating a double-- throw'switch I85 and, whenthe lever is moved forwardly to eflect the successive transitions,current is supplied through switch I85 to energize solenoidI 8 I.

The shaft I88 is provided with a plurality of stops mounted in differentangular positions and at different heights thereon and, when the levelis moved for the first transition, stop I86a lies in the path of the endof lever I18. The energization of solenoid I8I causes a downward pull onrack I88, so that lever I18 moves upwardly, until the end of the leverengages stop I86a. The movement of lever, I18 causes shaft I'll to moveits pencil a step across the tape to the level of the top speed, inwhich the first motor circuit should be used. When the transition leveris motor circuit to the third, the supply of current to solenoid I8I iscut off and solenoid I82 is energized. As a result, the lever I18 isurged to swing and lower the pencil but the lever engages the stopssuccessively from above, so that the movement of the pencil is in stepsas before.

In the instrument shown in Fig. 17, a pencil (not shown) is actuated bya flexible shaft I87, which is connected to the throttle, so that thepencil records current supply. The shaft I88 is driven by aspeed-responsive mechanism and a pencil (not shown) carried by the shaftrecords instantaneous values of speed. A pencil (not shown) carried by ashaft I89 records direction of travel and operationof the forestallingmechanism. For this purpose, the shaft is connected to a core I88 withinaligned solenoids I9I, I92 within casing I98. The solenoids are suppliedin alternation with current from a source I98 through a switch I95operated by the reverse lever 38". When the reverse lever is in forwardposition solenoid I9I is energized and this causes shaft I 89 to moveupwardly to cause the pencil carried by it to move away from the bottomedge of the tape. When the reverse lever is moved for reverse operation,the solenoid I92 is energized and draws the shaft I89 and its pencildownwardly so that the pencil records in a lower level on the tape. Whenthe reverse lever is in neutral, the pencil is in an intermediate level.The core I98 of the aligned solenoids is connected to the armature I96of a solenoid I91, which is momentarily energized whenever theforestalling mechanism is operated. The downward movement of armatureI96 produced by energization of solenoid I91 causes shaft I89 to bepulled downwardly momentarily and then released, so that the penciloperated by shaft I89 draws a short vertical line on the p The length oftape I98, shown in Fig. 20, carries a typical record made by theinstrument of Fig. 17. Line I99 on the tape was made by a pencilactuated by shaft I 81 and is arecord of current supply. Line 208 wasmade by a pencil carried by shaft I11 and is a record of transitions.-Line 2M was made by the pencil actuatedby shaft I08 and is a record ofinstantaneous values oi speed. Line 202 was made by the pencil actuatedby the shaft I89 and the portion 202001 the line is at a high level andindicates forward travel of the locomotive. Portion 202b of the line isat a low level and indicates reverse travel. Portion 202C of the line isat an intermediate level and indicates either that the locomotive wasmoving but not under its own power or else that. during the locomotivetravel, the controls of another unit were used. The short line 203indicates the operation of the forestalling mechanism.

In the instrument, the speed recording pencil may be actuated by meansother than the centrifugal mechanism illustrated in' Fig. 3 and oneexample of an alternative speed-responsive mechanism is shown in Fig. 21as including a rotary pump 204 driven by a shaft 205 at a speedproportionate to the speed of the locomotive. The pump supplies fluidthrough a line 206 to a cylinder 201, within which is a piston 208. Thecylinder is contained within a casing 209 connected by a return line Mto the intake of the pump. The wall of the cylinder has a slot 2| I,through which fluid beneath the piston may escape into the casing 209 toreturn to the pump. A rod 2l2 connects the piston to a member 2| 3having a rack meshing with the teeth of a gear 2 on a shaft 2l5 carryinga pointer 2 i8. Member 2'3 is attached to a shaft 2|! on which a pencil2 I8 is mounted.

In the operation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 21, pump 204 deliversfluid to the cylinder 201 beneath the piston at a rate depending uponthe speed of travel of the locomotive and, as the piston rises, ituncovers the slot 2 and fluid escapes from the cylinder. As a result,the piston comes to rest at a height in the cylinder dependent upon thelocomotive speed. In the upward movement of the piston, the rack onmember 2l3 causes shaft M5 to move angularly, so that pointer 2| 8swings through an angle depending on the speed of the locomotive. At thesame time, shaft 2 is moved upwardly to elevate the pencil 2; a distancedepending on the locomotive speed.

In the foregoing, I have described a form of the new instrument suitablefor use on dieselelectric road locomotives, but it will be apparent thatthe new instrument can be used on switching locomotives, on electriclocomotives receiving power from a line, on steam turbine electriclocomotives, etc. The records to be made by the instrument may vary indiil'erent installations and this is accomplished by properly actuatingthe pencils by the devices on the locomotive, the operation of which isto be recorded.

In the specific instrument described, four pencils are employed and sixrecords may be made by m'eans of these pencils. For diesel-electriclocomotive use, the instrument will ordinarily contain three pencils forindicating throttle actuation, transitions, and speed, and the recordsof direction of travel, application 01' the dynamic brake, and actuationof the forestalling mechanism may then be made by modifying the recordsproduced by the three pencils. Thus, the throttle pencil may makerecords in upper or lower levels of the tape depending on direction oftravel and the transition pencil may record application of the brake, aspreviously explained. The actuation of the forestalling mechanism may berecorded by modifying the records made by any of the three pencils,since the record of actuation of 14 the iorestalling mechanism involvesonly a momentary movement of a pencil from its normal course.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for recording the details of operation of anelectrically driven locomotive having a plurality oi traction motorsconnectable in various circuits to be employed through different speedranges, means for eifecting the motor circuit transitions, and meansoperable stepwise to control the supply of current to the motors, thecombination of means for supporting and advancing a tape lengthwise andproportionately to the travel of the locomotive, a plurality of meansfor inscrlbing records on the tape, means responsive to the speed of thelocomotive for moving one inscribing means across the tape as thelocomotive speed varies, increments of transverse movement of saidinscribing means representing increments of speed, and means actuated bythe transition means for causing a stepwise movement of a secondinscribing means across the tape, the movement of the second inscribingmeans being in the same units as the movement of the speed recordinscribing means and the second inscribing means recording at the end ofeach step the top speed at which the corresponding motor circuit shouldbe used.

2. In apparatus for recording the details of operation of anelectrically driven locomotive having a plurality of traction motorsconnectable in different circuits, and means for eifecting the motorcircuit transitions, the combination of means for supporting andadvancing a tape lengthwise proportionately to the travel of thelocomotive, a plurality of pencils for inscribing records on the. tape,means responsive to the speed of the locomotive for moving one penciltransversely of the tape as the speed of the locomotive varies, andmeans actuated by the transition means for moving a second pencilstepwise transversely of the tape as transitions are made. said movingmeans for the second pencil including a cam shaped to move the secondpencil through steps of varying length corresponding to the speed rangesin which the respective motor circuits should be used, each stepterminating at the top speed of the corresponding range.

3. In apparatus for indicating and recording the details of operation ofan electrically driven locomotive having a plurality of traction motorsconnectable in diiferent circuits and mechanism for efiecting the motorcircuit transitions, the combination of means for advancing a tapelengthwise proportionately to the travel of the locomotive, a scalegraduated in units of speed and in corresponding speed ranges, in whichrespective motor circuits should be used, a pair of pointersindependently movable over the scale, a plurality of pencils forinscribing records on the tape, means responsive to the speed of thelocomotive for moving one of the pointers along the scale and moving oneof the pencils transversely of the tape as the speed of the locomotivevaries, and means actuated by the transition mechanism for moving asecond pencil transversely of the tape and for moving the second pointerover the scale, the second pencil and second pointer being movedstepwise through distances corresponding to the speed ranges in whichrespective motor circuits should be used said second pointer indicatingand said second pencil recording the top speed of the correspondingrange at the end of each step.

4. In apparatus for recording the details of opaevaeac 15 eration of anelectrically driven locomotive hav= ing a plurality of traction 'motorscormectabie in diiierent circuits and means for effecting transitionsfrom one circuit to another, the combination of means for supporting andadvancing a tape lengthwise and proportionately to the travel of thelocomotive, the tape being subdivided transversely in units of speed,means for inscribing a record on the tape, and means actuated by thetransition means and moving the inscrlbing means transversely of thetape in successive steps, each step being made up of a plurality oiunits of speed, the length of each step corresponding to the i crth ofthe range of speed, in

which the motor circuit made effective by the corresponciinvv actuationof the transition means should be user, and the inscribing meansrecording the top speed of the corresponding range at.

the end of each step.

5. In apparatus for indicating the details of operation of anelectrically driven locomotive having a plurality oi. traction motorsconnectable in various circuits and means tor effecting transitions fromone circuit to another, the combination of a scale subdivided intoranges each extending between the bottom and top speeds, within which aparticular motor circuit should be used, the speed ranges being ofvarying lengths and means operated by the transition means forindicating the upper end of the subdivision on id a the scaleappropriate for the circuit established by each operation oi thetransition means.

6. In apparatus for indicating-the details of operation of anelectrically driven locomotive having a plurality of traction motorsconnectable in various circuits and means, including a lever operablestepwise, for eiiecting transitions from aairaaaivcas errata Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,190,173 Hudson July 4, 19161,350,355 Brach Aug. 24, 1920 1,516,809 Duncan Nov. 25, 1924 1,518,214Murray Dec. 9, 1924 1,826,492 Babson Oct. 6, 1931 2,317,258 DilworthApr. 20, 1943 2,325,51 Wait July 27, 1943 2,326,049

Smith Aug. 3, i943

